Diving into waterfront job

Andy Fillmore will join the Waterfront Development Corp. in March as vice-president of planning and development. (CHRISTIAN LAFORCE / Staff / File)

From working on Boston’s Big Dig about 20 years ago, Andy Fillmore is set to land on the local waterfront in March.

Seven months after taking over as director of Dalhousie University’s school of planning, Fillmore, the former manager of urban planning with Halifax Regional Municipality, will join the Waterfront Development Corp. on March 1.

He will take over as the new vice-president of planning and development of the provincial Crown agency.

In an interview shortly after his hiring was announced Wednesday afternoon, Fillmore said he had a “fantastic time” at Dalhousie, but the school needs someone who will be completely committed to its operations.

“What I found after about four months was that my DNA of being a practitioner of city building was languishing a little bit, and it’s really the cloth that I’m cut from, and I think that what I have to offer is better suited to being in practice.”

He will step down as director in February and will complete the winter term as an adjunct professor.

In an email to the Dalhousie community, Christine Macy, dean of the faculty of architecture and planning, said that Fillmore had made his presence felt since he joined the program.

“He has contributed to the integration of urban design and practice-based teaching into the planning curriculum, to a strategic planning process for the faculty, to the development of the landscape architecture degree program, and to bringing the IDEA building a few steps closer to reality,” Macy said.

Fillmore spent seven years working with the municipality before moving to Dalhousie in July, and was the chief architect behind the HRM by Design process.

He will now work on helping to develop waterfronts in Bedford, Lunenburg, Dartmouth Cove, the Cunard block redevelopment and the $190-million Queen’s Landing project in Halifax.

There is enormous potential in underutilized areas along the waterfront to turn them “into bustling, vibrant, sustainable growth for our city,” Fillmore said.

“We live in a Maritime city, and the connection of this city to the harbour goes back hundreds of years, and it’s in the DNA of the city. Right now, the harbourfront features a number of parking lots that are on their way toward development. It features some wonderful development that have been parking lots in previous decades.”

Asked to describe his personal style and philosophy when it comes to city-building, Fillmore said it is a focus on excellence of design and public spaces.

“My approach through my whole career has been that of collaborative decision-making and deep engagement of the community, so I’ll bring that as well.”